The England skipper was almost lured to the Blues under then boss Jose Mourinho following the Reds' Champions League triumph in 2005, but the 32-year-old opted to commit his future to his boyhood club.

"He won the Champions League and he is a legend in Liverpool," the Daily Mail quotes Benitez as saying. "I think he will say he made the right decision at the time."

Benitez, who was in charge of the Reds between 2004 and 2010, will return to Anfield on Sunday with his Chelsea team in the Premier League.